Govt docs may need NoC to treat Swasthya Sathi patients in pvt hosp

Kolkata: State Health department has submitted a proposal to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her approval which will allow the health department to frame a rule making it mandatory for the doctors in government hospitals to obtain a no-objection certificate (NoC) from Swasthya Bhawan before treating a patient in private hospitals under Swasthya Sathi scheme.

According to sources in the Health department, many government hospital doctors treated patients in private health establishments under the Swasthya Sathi scheme when the junior doctors from various medical colleges across the state were carrying out agitation in connection with the RG Kar issue.

The Health department has received a detailed report in this regard as to how the government doctors continued their services to Swasthya Sathi patients in private hospitals.

After the Health department receives the final clearance, the government doctors will have to apply for the NoC and the health department after due consideration will issue it. The norms are prevailing with the Clinical Establishment Act but it was not enforced in the state.

As a result, many government doctors were not in practice of obtaining any such NoC.

Following the junior doctors’ agitation, the state government’s spending on patient treatment under the Swasthya Sathi scheme in private hospitals had surged by over Rs 1.13 crore, compared to the Health department’s usual spending, claimed sources. A survey which was carried out between August 10 and September 18, revealed that the state had to bear a cost of Rs 7.86 crore for the treatment of patients under Swasthya Sathi in various private hospitals.

The entire amount that has been spent by the state’s exchequer under the head of Swasthya Sathi during this period stood at around Rs 315 crore. The maximum amount spent under the scheme from the Kolkata-based private hospitals.